The Thought Reader
The Thought Reader is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy issue 291, 2nd September 1933 under the title Biggles on the Trail!. The story was subsequently collected as the eighth short story of the third Biggles book Biggles of the Camel Squadron, published in March 1934. The story was later adapted, none too successfully, to a 1940s World War 2 Battle of France setting and published in the Modern Boy's Annual 1941 also as Biggles on the Trail!. When Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter was published in 1954 by Thames and then in the 1960s by Dean and Son, this was one of two Camel Squadron stories included in the collection along with 11 others from The Camels are Coming. Thus when Camel Squadron was brought out later the same year, this story was left out. This omission continued until the Red Fox edition of the 1990s. Synopsis Biggles' observation skills uncovers a German spy working behind the lines and giving away the positions of British troops. Getting rid of the spy proves to be the easy part. He must also convince those whose lives are at risk. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Characters *Biggles *Algy Lacey *Colonel Raymond - he is said to be of 51st Wing Headquarters *Wat Tyler *Captain Mahoney - mentioned as leading a patrol back to Maranique Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *Rumpler Places Visited *266 Squadron, Maranique *Buell - an infantry brigade sheltered in a wood two miles east. Mentioned *Earles - an artillery brigade was shelled and destroyed. *Bertaple - some ammunition lorries there were also hit by accurate German shelling. *Amiens - Biggles shoots up and destroys the spy's car on the Amiens road. Editorial Changes Other Research Notes References to the past *"For since the disaster which had robbed his squadron of two-thirds of its machines...." This refers to the raid by a Friedrichshafen bomber on Maranique in The Professor Comes Back. The hangers of A and B flights were hit and all the aircraft inside were burnt out. Only the aircraft of Biggles' C flight were saved. Incongruities Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *This story is useful as a timeline fix. *According to the first paragraph, it is summer. "The summer sun blazed down in all its glory from a sky of cloudless blue." *A French farmer is harvesting his wheat. This is consistent as Winter Wheat in France is normally harvested around June. So in this case, The Thought Reader would be set in June 1918. *It is just after the "disaster" in The Professor Comes Back so the events of that story would have taken place perhaps in May. *Six weeks before that, the Professor is shot down in The Bottle Party, so that would be around April. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 291, 2nd Sep 1933 (as Biggles on the Trail!) *''Biggles of the Camel Squadron'', John Hamilton, 1934 and reprints *''Biggles Goes to War'', Boys' Friend Library, 1938 *''Modern Boy's Annual'', 1941 (heavily adapted, as Biggles on the Trail!) *''Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter'', Thames, 1954 and reprints *''Biggles of the Fighter Squadron'', Red Fox, 1992 and reprints *''Biggles of the Camel Squadron'', Norman Wright, 2011 References Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories